Harrison Crowe with his much coveted trophy – Photo AAC
CHONBURI, Thailand – New South Wales golfer, Harrison Crowe, produced a masterful back nine to edge out China’s Bo Jin by one shot to claim the 2022 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Thailand today.
Crowe becomes the third Australian player to win the AAC trophy following Antony Murdaca (2014) and Curtis Luck (2016) and will perhaps have the opportunity to defend his title when the championship returns to Royal Melbourne next year subject to his remaining amateur at that point.
At Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi on Saturday, Crowe, ranked No. 43 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, was three shots behind Jin when he made the turn at three-over par. However, four birdies in five holes on the back nine and a heroic up and down for par from the back of the 18th hole helped him to a level-par 72 and a one-shot victory.
Japan’s Ryuta Suzuki (73) and Crowe’s compatriot, Jeff Guan (69), were tied for the third place at nine under par.
“I certainly had to dig deep. At the turn, I kind of told my dad and his mate, that I just needed one to go in, just one to drop, and from there, I backed myself to keep it going. I had not had a birdie all day, and the one on 11th got my momentum going forward,” said Crowe, who turned 21 on October 15.
Jin (71), whose brother won this event in 2015, started the day two behind Crowe but caught up early with an approach to tap-in distance for a birdie on the first hole as the Australian slipped to an opening bogey.
Jin looked to be in a strong position after a spectacular eagle from the bunker at the back of the par-4 12th hole but Crowe holed out for a birdie to stay three behind.
The Sydneysider pulled level when he made his fourth birdie in five holes on the par-5 15th hole.
Crowe missed the 16th green with his approach which cost him a dropped shot and a share of the lead.
The iconic par-3 17th with its island green proved to be crucial in deciding the outcome of the championship. Jin’s tee shot to the 129-yard hole came up short in the water and he could only manage a double-bogey five.
Crowe enjoyed a one-shot lead on the 18th tee but there was more drama to come when, after a perfect tee shot that left him with a 181-yard approach, Crowe pulled his second shot and almost found the water. His ball stayed dry and he made a difficult up-and-down for his all-important par.
“I think it was going to go in the water. I pulled it, but I flushed it. So, I thought I had plenty on, but I was just hoping that it just caught a bit of grass,” Crowe added.
The victory means Crowe receives invitations to the 2023 Masters and The 151st Open.
“It means so much. I played a lot of really good golf early in the season, but towards the middle of the year when I travelled overseas, I didn’t play very good golf at all. So, I came out here this week with something to prove, and I’m just really proud of myself the way I handled myself on and off the course,” said Crowe.
Jin, who was hoping to add another AAC trophy to his family cabinet alongside the one won by his brother Cheng in 2015, managed to retain his smile after the disappointing finish.
“This is not the position I wanted to be in but I am very proud of the way I played this whole week. You just can’t take anything away from Crowe and the way he played the back nine,” said Jin, who finished tied-eighth in 2019 and tied-third last year in Dubai.
“I have got another year in the college so if they invite me back, I am definitely coming to Melbourne next year and try this all over again. Hopefully, I will finish one position better.”
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Bennett loses ground at Asia Pacific but remains in contention
Kelsey Bennett – in action in Thailand this week – photo R&A
Japan’s Mizuki Hashimoto has the halfway lead at Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific Championship, her second round of 66 the equal best of the tournament to date and opening up a one-shot lead over Jiyoo Lim of South Korea at the Siam Country Club in Thailand.
Hashimoto arrived this week as the defending champion following her win in Abu Dhabi last year and after a slowish start to the event with an opening round of 69, is back leading an event in which she is seeking to become the first two-time winner.
Australia’s Kelsey Bennett, from the South Coast of New South Wales, was unable to match the brilliance of her opening 67 and an even par round of 72 today has her four shots off the lead and tied for 4th after trailing by just one overnight.
New Zealand’s Fiona Xu is the next best of the Australasians in a share of 12th place, followed by Queenslanders Justice Bosio and Sarah Hammett in a share of 17th at 1 under.
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Top 10 finishes for Baddeley and Endycott in Bermuda
Harrison Endycott – an impressive start to his PGA Tour career – file photo
Aaron Baddeley has finished 6th and Sydney PGA Tour rookie Harrison Endycott has finished 10th at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in Southampton, Bermuda.
Playing the event courtesy of Monday qualifying earlier in the week, as he had done at his previous start, Baddeley began the final round tied for 3rd place and two shots behind Ireland’s Seamus Power. A double bogey at his second hole and a roller coaster closing nine in which he produced three birdies and three bogeys saw him finish just three behind the eventual winner, Power.
Baddeley, will however, courtesy of his top ten finish, gain a start at the next PGA Tour event the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba in Mexico.
“I feel like I played pretty well. It was difficult again today,” said Baddeley. “I mean, just that double, the wind, got the wind wrong, went too far. I actually thought I stumped it, I thought I hit it close and it just flew like seven yards too far. But it was a tough day. I hit the ball really nicely overall, but disappointing just to finish with a par and a bogey.
“Yeah, but overall good week, first top-10 on Tour in a couple years, three years, two years. Like I said
yesterday, I feel like that’s where the game’s at, the game’s trending. No, the game’s not trending, the game’s there. It’s just a matter of getting starts. Great to have another start next week, ball-striker’s golf course, so I’m looking forward to that.”
So, too, will be Endycott who by finishing inside the top ten has moved out of alternate status for the event and earns place in the field for his fifth PGA Tour event.
This week’s 10th place was Endycott’s best finish in four starts but his 12th place on debut and now this impressive effort will be a great boost of confidence for the 26 year old graduate from the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour.
The finish will also provide a healthy cheque for Endycott to assist in the early stages of his PGA Tour career. In just four events to date he has earnings of US334,000 to his name including the US$177,000 this week.
Birdies at his final two holes assisted Endycott’s cause in no small way and gave further evidence of an attitude that will stand him in good stead as his career progresses.
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Harrison Crowe becomes Australia’s third Asia Pacific Amateur Champion
Harrison Crowe with his much coveted trophy – Photo AAC
CHONBURI, Thailand – New South Wales golfer, Harrison Crowe, produced a masterful back nine to edge out China’s Bo Jin by one shot to claim the 2022 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Thailand today.
Crowe becomes the third Australian player to win the AAC trophy following Antony Murdaca (2014) and Curtis Luck (2016) and will perhaps have the opportunity to defend his title when the championship returns to Royal Melbourne next year subject to his remaining amateur at that point.
At Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi on Saturday, Crowe, ranked No. 43 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, was three shots behind Jin when he made the turn at three-over par. However, four birdies in five holes on the back nine and a heroic up and down for par from the back of the 18th hole helped him to a level-par 72 and a one-shot victory.
Japan’s Ryuta Suzuki (73) and Crowe’s compatriot, Jeff Guan (69), were tied for the third place at nine under par.
“I certainly had to dig deep. At the turn, I kind of told my dad and his mate, that I just needed one to go in, just one to drop, and from there, I backed myself to keep it going. I had not had a birdie all day, and the one on 11th got my momentum going forward,” said Crowe, who turned 21 on October 15.
Jin (71), whose brother won this event in 2015, started the day two behind Crowe but caught up early with an approach to tap-in distance for a birdie on the first hole as the Australian slipped to an opening bogey.
Jin looked to be in a strong position after a spectacular eagle from the bunker at the back of the par-4 12th hole but Crowe holed out for a birdie to stay three behind.
The Sydneysider pulled level when he made his fourth birdie in five holes on the par-5 15th hole.
Crowe missed the 16th green with his approach which cost him a dropped shot and a share of the lead.
The iconic par-3 17th with its island green proved to be crucial in deciding the outcome of the championship. Jin’s tee shot to the 129-yard hole came up short in the water and he could only manage a double-bogey five.
Crowe enjoyed a one-shot lead on the 18th tee but there was more drama to come when, after a perfect tee shot that left him with a 181-yard approach, Crowe pulled his second shot and almost found the water. His ball stayed dry and he made a difficult up-and-down for his all-important par.
“I think it was going to go in the water. I pulled it, but I flushed it. So, I thought I had plenty on, but I was just hoping that it just caught a bit of grass,” Crowe added.
The victory means Crowe receives invitations to the 2023 Masters and The 151st Open.
“It means so much. I played a lot of really good golf early in the season, but towards the middle of the year when I travelled overseas, I didn’t play very good golf at all. So, I came out here this week with something to prove, and I’m just really proud of myself the way I handled myself on and off the course,” said Crowe.
Jin, who was hoping to add another AAC trophy to his family cabinet alongside the one won by his brother Cheng in 2015, managed to retain his smile after the disappointing finish.
“This is not the position I wanted to be in but I am very proud of the way I played this whole week. You just can’t take anything away from Crowe and the way he played the back nine,” said Jin, who finished tied-eighth in 2019 and tied-third last year in Dubai.
“I have got another year in the college so if they invite me back, I am definitely coming to Melbourne next year and try this all over again. Hopefully, I will finish one position better.”
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Brad Kennedy 5th in Japan’s Heiwa PGM Championship
Brad Kennedy another good result in Japan – photo Japan Golf Tour
Queenslander Brad Kennedy has finished 5th in the Japan Tour’s Heiwa PGA Championship in the Ibaraki Prefecture near Tokyo.
Kennedy entered today’s final round just one shot off the lead of Rikuya Hoshino, chasing his first win in Japan in four years. But while all four of his rounds were in the 60’s including today’s final round of 69, Kennedy was unable to hold off last round charges from the winner Hoshino and American Chan Kim who finished runner-up.
It was, though, Kennedy’s 4th top 5 of the season and he now moves ahead of his fellow Queensland based professional Anthony Quayle as the leading money winner on the Japan Golf Tour (including major tournaments) in 2022.
The winner, 26 year old Hoshino, began the season brilliantly with seven consecutive top tens but his win this week was his first of the season although his 6th victory overall on the Japan Golf Tour.
Hoshino won by one over American Kim and Aguri Iwasaki. Kim has been one of the most successful players in Japan in recent years with seven victories to his name including key events such as the Japan Open and the Dunlop Phoenix.
The next best of the Australasians in the field was Matthew Griffin who was 25th followed by joint 36 hole leader Brendan Jones who was unable to keep pace with his second round of 63.
Dylan Perry was 41st, New Zealand’s Michael Hendry 54th and Anthony Quayle 62nd.
Aaron Baddeley taking advantage of PGA Tour start
Aaron Baddeley – file photo Bruce Young
Aaron Baddeley might not enjoy full playing rights on the PGA Tour anymore but after earning a start at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship courtesy via Monday qualifying, he has taken advantage by making a fine start to the US$6.5 million event.
Baddeley is one of five players just one shot from the leader, Ben Crane, at the halfway stage of the event in Southhampton, Bermuda, following up an opening round of 65 with a second round 64 at the Port Royal Golf Course.
Baddeley is delighted to get a start in an event given his now limited status restricts his opportunities.
“Yeah, with my past champion status, not really getting in much this fall. Just, yeah, wanted to make sure I could be here this week, so went down on Monday and got in, I birdied the first hole to get into the playoff. Game’s been feeling pretty good, so it was fun to play well these first two days. Reason to keep it going the next couple.”
Baddeley believes the work he has been doing with coach Mike Adams is paying off. “I started working with Mike Adams about a year ago, last October maybe started together. He’s just really simplified my swing.
“For the majority of my career that’s been the battle and I’d say this summer I hit the ball consistently, probably the most consistent I’ve ever done in my career and just didn’t make enough putts.
“Feel like I have the putting figured out again now and just sort of feel like everything’s sort of turning the corner. Feel like the confidence is back, just a matter of just getting some starts and go out and play. So it’s been great, Mike’s really been a huge help.”
Baddeley is the winner of four PGA Tour titles and more then US$22 million in his now 20 year career in the US but has struggled in recent seasons just to retain playing rights.
Sydney’s Harrison Endycott led after the opening round but lost ground with his second round of 70 in the low scoring event. he is, though, well enough placed in a share of 15th and only four from the lead in just his 4th PGA Tour event as a cardholder.
Cameron Percy 34th and Greg Chalmers 55th are the only other Australians to have made the weekend.
One of two players have yet to complete their rounds but will have no impact on the top of the leaderboard.
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Scrivener and Hillier lead Australasians in Portugal
Jason Scrivener – file photo
New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier and Australian Jason Scrivener are four shots off the pace and tied for 13th at the halfway stage of the Portugal Masters at Vilamoura on the Algarve Peninsula.
Hillier is playing this event based on his performances on last year’s Challenge Tour rankings but he of course now has DP World Tour status for next season courtesy of his good season on the Challenge Tour in 2022.
That status does not begin until the first event of next season, but he is taking advantage of this opportunity and has made a solid start.
Jason Scrivener on the other hand is currently in 109th position in the DP World Tour rankings and needs to retain his position inside the top 117 if he is to retain the right to play the DP World Tour.
A good finish this week should get the job done with a certain level of comfort for the 33 year old.
Scott Hend continued his improvement from last week and is in a share of 22nd and his fellow Queenslander Maverick Antcliff is in a share of 45th place.
Both Hend and Antcliff are in serious danger of losing their full playing rights for Europe.
The tournament is being led by Malaysia’s Gavin Green and England’s Jordan Smith at 13 under par.
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Brendan Jones surprise leader in Japan
Australian veteran Brendan Jones produced a superb finish to grab a share of the lead at the halfway stage of the Heiwa PGM Championships in Ibaraki on Friday.
Rejuvenated from a three-week break back home in Canberra, the 47-year-old added a superb seven-under-par 63 to his opening 67 at the PGM Ishioka Golf Club thanks to a splendid run of an eagle and four birdies in his last six holes.
He had earlier turned in 34 by overcoming a bogey on the third hole with a pair of birdies on the sixth and ninth.
At 10-under par 130, Jones shared the top spot with Keita Nakajima and they led by just one shot from overnight leader Rikuya Hoshino, with international pair American Chan Kim and Australia’s Brad Kennedy another shot back alongside three others in tied-fourth.
Jones, who’s struggling to impress all year long, surprised even himself with his scintillating finish that spark his hopes of adding a title number 16, three years after he lifted his last at the Token Homemate Cup in 2019.
After making just one cut in his last eight starts, Jones decided to return to Australia to recharge. And it has certainly done him a whole world of good.
“The finish was incredible, it’s funny because my year has been horrible. My game has been very poor,” said Jones, whose best result this year was a tied-21st at the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup.
“I went back to Australia for three weeks to see my old coach and talked to some professionals that have helped me along the way. It has changed my thoughts, the way I think.
“Today I started nervously and played the first four holes rather poorly. It was very scrappy, got up and down from a long way on two, hit it in the water on three.
“But once I birdied the sixth, that calmed me down a little bit. From there, I played really, really well. The last six holes were pretty impressive.
“I wasn’t expecting that because in my head I was counting down the holes just to make the cut. I haven’t made many cuts this year.
“I just kept hitting really good shots. One thing I did today that I have not done all year is that all my good shots were not complemented with good putting.
“So, it’s to see some putts going in.
“There are still 36 holes to go and that’s still a long way to go. I’ll just try to stay patient and keep doing what I’m doing.”
Kim traded four birdies against a lone bogey to stay within striking distance of his eighth JGTO title while Kennedy also had the same scorecard to keep himself firmly in contention for his first victory in four years and fourth overall.
American Todd Baek shot a 67 to be tied for ninth and three shots off the pace.
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Vilips and Crowe lead Australians at Asia Pacific Amateur
Karl Vilips in action today – photo AAC
China’s Bo Jin holds the halfway lead in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship for the second successive year after staying ahead of a charging Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat at the Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand, on Friday.
The 20-year-old Oklahoma State University junior finished with a bogey on the par-4 ninth hole, but he did enough good work in a three-under-par 69 round to keep his nose ahead of local star and the highest-ranked player in the field, world No. 12 Chantananuwat, and Korea’s Wooyoung Cho.
The Australians are led by US based Karl Vilips and New South Wales Harrison Crowe who are tied for 4th and just 2 behind the leader, Jin.
Jin, brother of the 2015 AAC champion in Hong Kong Cheng Jin, is ranked 34th on the WAGR. Last year in Dubai, he was leading after rounds of 70 and 64 and had a strong feeling of déjà vu.
“I am in a great position and am obviously reminded of Dubai. I have played some great golf so far and I hope to do the same over the weekend and finish the job,” said Jin.
“I don’t think I played badly during the weekend in Dubai, but Keita (Nakajima) played much better and won. I just need to do my part properly and we will see how it goes after that.”
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Rookie Harrison Endycott shares lead in Bermuda
Harrison Endycott – file photo Golf NSW
Sydney’s Harrison Endycott is playing just his fourth event as a PGA Tour cardholder and after the opening round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in Southhampton in Bermuda, the 26 year old finds himself in a share of the lead of the US$6.5 million event.
Endycott, who impressed with a 12th place finish on debut at the Fortinet Championship after securing his playing rights via the regular season on the Korn Ferry Tour, began slowly with bogeys at his opening two holes but he would play his next six holes in 6 under including a birdie at his 9th hole then finished his round strongly with three birdies and an eagle in his last five holes.
Endycott, a member of Australia’s winning Eisenhower Trophy team in 2016 along with Cameron Davis and Curtis Luck, played the Australasian, South American and Korn Ferry Tours until earning his PGA Tour rights with a win and several top tens on the Korn Ferry Tour earlier this year.
“Yeah, look, I been hitting it great and really did some good work with the putting over the last two weeks,” said Endycott.
“I’ve been really struggling a little bit just especially with confidence with it, been hitting a lot of good putts and not seeing it going in. My coach and I came down with a pretty good strategy over the last two weeks at home to, you know, really get confident again.
“It was great today, I found a little bit of confidence. Had a slow start, started bogey, bogey. I said to Dave, my caddie, I said I think it’s time to get on a bit of a heater now. It was great, I can’t remember the last time I had a couple eagles, two in a round, and I just hit some really good quality shots out there.”
When asked how he was coping with life on the PGA Tour compared to the lesser tours he has played until now Endycott responded; “I’m just trying to take the little 1 percenters as we go. It’s a whole new feel again. It’s bigger and bolder and we’re out playing on the best and biggest tour in the world.
“For rookies coming out, it takes some people a little longer than others to feel comfortable and some people feel comfortable straightaway. For me it’s just a little bit at a time. I won’t be too far away where I really feel comfortable out here. Yeah, I’m just trying to take a little tiny 1 percenters and the small wins within myself and hopefully we can add three more good rounds and have a good year. If not, it is what it is.”
Endycott shares the lead with American Austin Smotherman who like Endycott played his way through South America and the Korn Ferry Tour to make it to the PGA Tour. He is in his second season at this level and has just one top ten to his name thus far.
Aaron Baddeley earned a place in this field through Open qualifying and has mde the most i=of it so far after his opening round of 65 having him in a share of 16th in what has been a low scoring opening day.
Cameron Percy and Greg Chalmers are the next best of the Australians in 29th place after rounds of 66.
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Asia Pacific Amateur returns to Amata Spring
The Amata Castle and the island green 17th in the foreground – photo APAC
The Asia Pacific Amateur Championships returns to the scene of one of its most historic victories when the event is played this week at the Amata Spring Country Club outside of Bangkok in Thailand.
Back in 2012, a just turned 14 year old Guan Tianlang won the event, defeating Chinese Taipei’s CT Pan by one shot and just five months later Guan would become the youngest ever player to make the cut at the Masters, despite incurring a one shot penalty during his second round.
There is little doubt that Guan (seen below) was painfully slow as in my role as on course commentator that week in Thailand he displayed an almost pedantic approach to his pre-shot routine. But there was a feeling that many others at the Masters should have also been nailed for their slow approach, so that he made the cut at Augusta National at the age of 14 is surely one of the greatest and perhaps most underrated performances in the game given the circumstances.
14 year old Guan Tianlang wins in 2012 at age 14 – APAC
Amata Spring is a fine layout, but its most talked about hole is the perhaps controversial par 3 17th island green hole which requires a short boat ride to get to the green. Prior to arriving at Amata Spring in 2012, I had always felt there was a bit of gimmickry in such holes but this was one that worked and provided a real test late in a round especially when a player was under pressure.
Japan and China head the list in terms of most victories by any one nation in the event (4), Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) and Yuxin Lin (China) the only two players to have won two individual titles.
In 2022 120 players tee it up over 72 holes chasing a title that will not only give them one of the greatest titles in amateur golf but direct access to both the Open Championship and the Masters in 2023. The highest world ranked amateur in the field is Thailand’s Ratchanon Chantananuwat followed closely by China Weyi Ding with Australian the third highest world ranked amateur in this field.
Seven of those 120 are Australians headed by Perth’s Connor McKinney who will be joined by Hayden Hopewell, Harrison Crowe, Karl Vilips, Jeffrey Guan, Josh Greer and Lukas Michel.
Australia’s Connor McKinney a likely contender – photo APAC
Australia has won the event on two occasions. In 2014 South Australian Antonio Murdaca blitzed the field by seven shots at Royal Melbourne and in 2016 Curtis Luck came from seven shots off the 54 hole pace to win by one over his fellow Australian Brett Coletta.
All seven of the Australians have the credentials to contend for the title this week, with four of them inside the world top 50 in amateur rankings while amongst the seven New Zealanders, Kazuma Kobori, Sam Jones and James Hyde stand out as the players most likely to do well.
Kobori leads the New Zealanders in terms of world ranking, the former New Zealand PGA Champion, at the age of 17, a highly talented and now experienced campaigner.
The event is managed by both Augusta National and the R&A although most of the funding for the event comes from Augusta National.
Starts at the Open Championship and the Masters for the winner – photo APAC